U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,240, issued July 26, 1988 to Schipper et al and assigned to the assignee of this invention, describes a detent reaction variable effort power steering gear for automobiles including an input or stub shaft, an output shaft or pinion head, and a torsion bar therebetween defining an open-center position of one relative to the other. A plurality of radial sockets in the pinion head receive screw-in inserts having eccentric bores. Spherical detent elements are slidably received in the eccentric bores and cooperate with detent grooves in the stub shaft to simulate additional torsion bar restoring force when fluid pressure is introduced into the eccentric bores above the detent elements. To center the detent elements in the detent grooves in the open-center position of the pinion head and stub shaft, the inserts are rotated relative to the pinion head to move the spherical ends of the detent elements relative to the detent grooves. When the detent elements are exactly centered, the inserts are staked for permanent retention. The apparatus and method according to this invention affords improved adjustment and retention of the inserts.